One of the fundamental The Pros And Cons Of Multiculturalism In Canada 1126 Words 5 Pages Multiculturalism has been an integral part of Canada since its adoption by the Trudeau government in 1971 and its formal implementation through The Canadian Multiculturalism Act in 1988 (Burnett and Dreidger, 2014). The legislation serves to ensure that all consumers, regardless of whether they speak English or French, or their geographical location, are able to read and understand product packaging in Canada. By the early 1700s, large populations of both English and French-speaking colonialists were established – colonial groups that differed significantly in their cultural characteristics. Proponents of a single medium of instruction opposed bilingual ed… Sources of debate on bilingualism in Canada. Granted, the struggles aren’t awful, but there are pros and cons to being fluent in more than one language. Finally, there is the issue of whether the federal government remains committed to the ideal of a single bilingual community in Canada. The notion is that Quebec should seek political independence from Canada in order to fully promote French culture and language in English-dominated North America. Bilingualism and multilingualism are often perceived and considered as a problem or a major challenge to individual and/or societal development. Being monolingual, bilingual or multilingual: pros and cons in patients with dementia November 2011 Board of International Affairs of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 8(04):96-98 Here she busts some of the myths and shares the benefits, and some parents share their own experiences. A few studies have suggested that bilinguals find it easier to learn another language than people who possess the knowledge of only one. When you hear one language and are speaking with the other at the same time, your brain goes slightly crazy and you forget how to speak completely. Moreover, bilingual means to use another language with using English in public. Nevertheless, there have been some criticisms of the federal government’s commitment to the ideal of a common bilingual community in Canada. Committing to providing equal employment opportunities for French-speaking and English-speaking Canadians in federal institutions. A bilingual education provides two languages to students simultaneously. Con: Being the Google translate of your friendship group. Language politics and the issue of official bilingualism have been a factor in Canadian politics since before Confederation. According to the Commission, adequate accommodation of Quebec in Canada required more than simply officially recognizing the French language in the nation’s political institutions. Raising bilingual children: the pros, the cons, the myths. Bilingualism in Canada is important because it shows how Canadians are passionate and motivated to work to keep and fix things that they find important, it is why all over Canada French is spoken, it is why Canada is still bilingual. It will be fair to them if the class of people speaks two different languages. Sections 17-22 outline particular language rights in government institutions, such as the right to use either French or English in any proceeding in the Canadian Parliament, the right to use either language in any court established by Parliament, and the right of the general public to communicate and receive services in either language when dealing with government institutions and agencies (at both the federal level and provincial level in New Brunswick). The amendment was supported by both major political parties in the House of Commons, the Liberal Party of Canada and the Conservative Party of Canada. Setting out policies to support the development of official language minority communities and to promote the use of both languages in Canadian society. Hi! Credits: This article was originally written by Rhonda Lauret Parkinson. It was summer, it was hot and I was wearing baggy shorts… Little did they know that I actually understood everything they were saying. This is due, in large part, to a shortage of sufficiently bilingual public servants to meet demand (Government of Canada, 2003). During the Quite Revolution, the provincial Liberals in Quebec enacted several policies to help French-speaking Quebecers become “Maîtres Chez Nous,” or “Masters in Our Own House.” The government created the first provincial department of Cultural Affairs, nationalized private hydroelectric facilities, and opted out of several federal government programs, such as the newly implemented Canada Pension Plan. The following section provides an introduction to several aspects of this federal strategy. Moreover, English and French Canadians were not to be separated into separate linguistic communities. This legislation declared French and English to be the official languages of Canada while requiring all federal institutions (such as government departments, agencies, and Crown corporations) to provide their services in French or English at the customer’s choice. Fundamentally, you are able to communicate with a wider slice of the world, and interact with a wider mix of cultures. In contrast, the British colonists spoke English, practiced Protestantism, and followed a legal system based on the common law tradition. In most cases, to master a language, you need to begin learning it during childhood. Under the Quebec Act, the British guaranteed the practice of the Catholic faith in Quebec while upholding the use of French civil law for private matters. Underlying these policies has been the belief that Quebec is the heartland of the French language in Canada, and that it is the responsibility of the Government of Quebec to promote a unique French society within the province. Through a series of European wars, such as the Queen Anne’s War and the Seven Years War, the British acquired all French territories in the Maritimes and Quebec. I learned a number of things but what really stuck with me wasn 't strictly about Canada or Canadians. In 1974, for example, the Quebec Liberal government passed the provincial Official Languages Act, making French the province’s official language. The Quiet Revolution refers to the period of social, cultural, and political upheaval that took place in Quebec in the 1960s. Canada is a bilingual country, the world’s first in fact and despite the fact that Quebec likes to be called “strictly French”, it is still a huge part of its bilingualism. Conversing in two languages at home is a bad trap to fall into. A largely western-based political party, the Reform Party strongly opposed the policy of official bilingualism and government action in the realm of language. The vision of a common bilingual community in Canada does have its supporters in all parts of the country, and in particular, in areas where there are large minority language communities – be it either English minorities in French-dominated areas or vice versa. For many anglophones, especially in Western Canada, it was an attempt to force the French language on an unwilling population. While the British controlled these territories politically, these new acquisitions were French-dominated in terms of culture. The concern here is often with the forced ‘bilingualization’ of regions that are predominately English-speaking. Guaranteeing federal employees the right to work in the language of their choice in prescribed regions (located in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Quebec). In the Philippines, a child grows up with the mother tongue at home which is spoken by the parents and other family members. Political linkages: Bilingualism improves political relationships and creates additional allies. Nevertheless, bilingualism has been admired by many nations for varied reasons. This practice of legally recognizing French culture was continued through Confederation and the uniting of former British colonies into the Dominion of Canada. Today's video is about my bilingualism and what does it mean to be bilingual in my everyday life. More specifically, the 2005 amendment committed the federal government to “enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development,” while imposing the duty of “fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society” (Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, 2007). That’s when you will realise that you have become the group’s interpreter. Both the anglophone population in Quebec and the francophone population outside of Quebec have declined in recent years. Think about it –  everyone does seem much hotter when you go abroad. In eastern and central Canada, the British settled in parts of present-day Newfoundland, while the French developed colonies in parts of present-day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. Francophones living outside of Quebec, however, face a real problem with assimilation. Bilingual education enables students to gain more knowledge and easily interact with other communities. In the context of the public service, for example, the evidence is somewhat mixed on this account. Using another language for drafts allowed him to be more critical and aware of his writing. Bilingualism in Quebec also increased; between 1971 and 2001, the number of bilingual 15-24-year-old francophones living inside Quebec rose from 31 percent to 42 percent (Government of Canada, 2003). In 1774, however, the British reversed this practice with the Quebec Act, legislation that set out the principles of governance in the Province of Quebec. In 1978, French-speaking Canadians accounted for 25 percent of the total federal public service and 18 percent of public service management positions. Of particular concern to the Commissioner were budget cuts undertaken by the Harper government eliminating key bilingual initiatives, including: the Court Challenges Program (which provided funding to minority groups to challenge government policies, such as those dealing with language, in court); the Innovation Fund (used to increase bilingualism in the public service); and other cuts within federal government departments which reduced the capacity of federal institutions to fully implement the 2003 Action Plan. In 1991, the government adopted a series of. English remains the preferred language of work by public servants, to the detriment of French, except in Montreal (Government of Canada, 2003). Firstly, it brought forth the notion that governments should be actively involved in language politics. Many Canadian schools use either the late or partial immersion program, allowing students to … Ever wonder how polyglots manage to learn to speak so many languages? This issue of accommodation led the federal government, under Liberal Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, to form the 1963 Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (commonly referred to as the “B and B Commission”). In addition to the Official Languages Act, the federal government has also undertaken other initiatives to promote a bilingual community in Canada. For more information on Commissioner’s 2007 assessments: List of article sources and links to more on this topic, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages: Official Languages Act, 1988 Synopsis, Government of Canada: The Next Act: New Momentum for Canada’s Linguistic Duality, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages: Annual Report, 2004-2005, Volume, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages: Annual Report, 2006-2007, http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/olo/docs/Action/ActionPlan_e.pdf, http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/legislation/ola_llo.asp, http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/archives/ar_ra/2004_05/2004_05_2_e.pdf, http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/archives/ar_ra/2006_07/2006_07_e.pdf, The Action Plan for Official Languages, Government of Canada, Privy Council Office, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Official Languages Act, Department of Justice, Canada, Official Languages Act, 1988, Synopsis, Commissioner of Official Languages, French debate preview: pressure on Harper, The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: An Introduction to Charter Rights, English debate preview: pressure on Dion and Layton, The Canadian Constitution: Introduction to Canada’s Constitutional Framework, The Notwithstanding Clause: Section 33 of the Charter. Dr. Ellen Bialystok, a professor of psychology at York University, has been studying the pros and cons of bilingualism for almost 40 years. Expanding the requirements for use of both official languages in federal institutions. The two most common forms of French immersion are early immersion, when students enter at kindergarten or grade one, and late immersion, when students enter at the beginning of junior high school. Clarifying the roles of the official languages commissioner, the secretary of state (now called the Minister of Canadian Heritage), and the Treasury Board in implementing the Act. For him, this was a way to force him out of his usual writing style. French immersion is a program whereby students receive the majority of their instruction in the French language. Not surprisingly, they were under-represented in the public service, particularly at senior management levels. 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